137
students has increased but viewed from a university perspective, it means they are
compared to universities around the world. Some say that MOOCs could totally
undermine the existing business model of universities.
Computerization and digitalization are making advances but there are still many
problems to be addressed. The biggest problem is cost. Japan does not spend a lot
of money on public education. When comparing costs of education in Japan to the
country’s GDP, Japan ranks lowest out of all OECD member countries. Japan needs
to invest more in the computerization of its education system.
Another problem is that digital textbooks are not recognized as official textbooks. Legally, textbooks are defined as books and must be in paper format to be
officially recognized as a textbook. At long last, MEXT has begun to make revisions
to the system but 4 years have been wasted since the author and others have first
made such suggestions.
The computerization of education is not just an issue for national and local governments but is also an issue for all Japanese people, including those involved in
education, and the parents of schoolchildren. Local municipalities, the government,
the Diet and private enterprises each have a role to carry out. It is important to
advance the development of both hard and soft infrastructure, support for teachers
and a revision of the legal system concerning the computerization of education.
6.6.4 Adult Education as a New Industry
In 2013, Associate Professor Michael Osborne published a paper that stated that in
10 years’ time, advances in AI will mean that many kinds of occupations will be
taken over by computers. This sensational news was also reported in Japan. Various
kinds of work ranging from jobs for entering data or being a supermarket cashier,
which are mostly part-time, to occupations which require knowledge and experience, such as accountants and loan officers, are supposed to be taken over by
machines.
Not all of that may be true but undoubtedly, many kinds of work will disappear.
Already a lot of jobs have been lost due to the introduction of IT. A typical example
is factories that carry out mass production. Various processes have been automated
and industrial machines can do the work with unrivalled accuracy, leaving no place
for human beings.
On the other hand, it is true that due to the introduction of IT, work which didn’t
exist before has been created.
Construction is one area late to introduce IT. However, the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), has launched i-Construction, a program aimed at increasing productivity in the entire construction production system
and creating appealing construction sites. With this program, through the introduction of IT, computers have taken over a large amount of work previously done by
6.6 New Industries Created in a Platinum Society
students has increased but viewed from a university perspective, it means they are
compared to universities around the world. Some say that MOOCs could totally
undermine the existing business model of universities.
Computerization and digitalization are making advances but there are still many
problems to be addressed. The biggest problem is cost. Japan does not spend a lot
of money on public education. When comparing costs of education in Japan to the
country’s GDP, Japan ranks lowest out of all OECD member countries. Japan needs
to invest more in the computerization of its education system.
Another problem is that digital textbooks are not recognized as official textbooks. Legally, textbooks are defined as books and must be in paper format to be
officially recognized as a textbook. At long last, MEXT has begun to make revisions
to the system but 4 years have been wasted since the author and others have first
made such suggestions.
The computerization of education is not just an issue for national and local governments but is also an issue for all Japanese people, including those involved in
education, and the parents of schoolchildren. Local municipalities, the government,
the Diet and private enterprises each have a role to carry out. It is important to
advance the development of both hard and soft infrastructure, support for teachers
and a revision of the legal system concerning the computerization of education.
6.6.4 Adult Education as a New Industry
In 2013, Associate Professor Michael Osborne published a paper that stated that in
10 years’ time, advances in AI will mean that many kinds of occupations will be
taken over by computers. This sensational news was also reported in Japan. Various
kinds of work ranging from jobs for entering data or being a supermarket cashier,
which are mostly part-time, to occupations which require knowledge and experience, such as accountants and loan officers, are supposed to be taken over by
machines.
Not all of that may be true but undoubtedly, many kinds of work will disappear.
Already a lot of jobs have been lost due to the introduction of IT. A typical example
is factories that carry out mass production. Various processes have been automated
and industrial machines can do the work with unrivalled accuracy, leaving no place
for human beings.
On the other hand, it is true that due to the introduction of IT, work which didn’t
exist before has been created.
Construction is one area late to introduce IT. However, the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), has launched i-Construction, a program aimed at increasing productivity in the entire construction production system
and creating appealing construction sites. With this program, through the introduction of IT, computers have taken over a large amount of work previously done by
6.6 New Industries Created in a Platinum Society